Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-07

gold GOOu speeu' koou sup one Nhlu /
aloud, and kissing the tips of her fingers to
the vessel, she waved a farewell, and ran
lightly down the path As she neared the
village she paused idly, and looked down
at a heart neatly drawn on the sand with |
some words traced in it, Perhaps ! shall
find out somebody's secret, she thought.
Suddenly from throat to brow a lovely
crimson dyed her face for half effaced by
the coming tide as they were, she could see
the letters e. B. g. Barbara-Got-
torp (" she murmured under her breath,
and then with flying footsteps sped to the
cottage, reaching it breathless, but with
consciousness of fresh light and color in her
life.
Her father was out, and the children
greeted her with noisy chorus, in which
Tommys shrill tones could be plainly heard,
saying
Bah, Mr. Eric is gone away ~
"Where - asked Barbara laconically,
feeling as if her warm pulses were sudden
ly stiled.
ITO China said Tommy and at this
they all laughed, it seemed so unlikely.
1T is true, announced wiser Polly "he
was telegrafted for from Plymouth and
he ordered Ben Visions cart, and was go
ing to catch the train"
"But he went to the sands first, put in
Tommy again 'and if you had come back
to dinner like you said, you would have met
him"
barbara was silent thousahu WoIus
and looks unheeded before rushed ihto her
ihlnd' ana tne rough craving ON Une sahl
TOOK meaning lor ner-n was ms gopu-
Dye' one lked 10 thihK that tne goou snip
Sne hau seen pilghU III tne dluern9on 3 .sal Sun
SHINE might be ms, and that she had waited wa
nun farewell somebody's secret was
IN truth her own. Later she heard from
Mrs. Cobbledick that telegram from ms
Ola captain hau summoned hrlc 10 snip
bound Tor south America, whose mate had
been disabled almost at the moment oil start
ing;
Inc autumn passed., anu WllCer CANT
Barbara worked very hard, and was the
llIe Oh tne house put she uio hou pass an
unruiiled existence "eH-tO-Go lar,ner
OF the helghborhood presented hllhSel 10
Mr.; lregage as sultor Tor ms uaughter
ana her emphatlc refusal 10 hsteh TO MS
woolng ehtalled upon her something very
IKE persecution from heT tather, VINO
iouhd II dlincult 10 reahze thaI sne sRouiu
III any matter nave decided VIII Oh her
own. 1t seemed almost as IL he had OBJ
tanned ghmmerlng OF soheoody Sc
| cret, as MS dlatrlDes against all foreigners
We're more frequent, ana ms praises Oh
Enghshmen-and especially those OF the
iarlner class-became wearlsome teratlohs.
Inc weather was unusually severe, ana one
Dtteriy cold morning "heh Uhe SKY was
tmck ana gray ana the atmosphere pos
sessed that stlllhess Whlch preceues d SUorIh'
Barbara was called by her father TO come
ana dress tommy Tor walk.
Where are you gong father she IN
luireu'
10 Italians, was MS answer, ana IN
reply TO look OF remonstrahce, he ADDED
exercise Is goou ior tommy, SO shall
take MN may DE detained, so you are
not 70 wait dinner
1t Is rather lar Tor Tommy legs Ia
ther, SAID Bah tlmldly and 1t looks IKE
snow
II he Is tired snail carry him' sald
Mr; Iregage' IN MS uhconipronlisiilg voice
ana Barbara had 10 watch the par seU OUT
wlth many mlsglVlngs on DehaI OF her III
tie brother;
Her mother was suffering more thah us
uai ana she scarcely hotlceu "heh tne
flakes began TO ian but the boys rushed ID
from their play eager to tell OF the unWont
ed delight OF a game IN the snow Inc
wlhd rose Whlrled the edayihg MAKES ABOUT
the wlndow-panes, ana drlited theih lhUo
every crack ana Granny tlli MIS- lregage
became alarmed for her husband ana l0in-
my and though barbara trled 10 cam mel
by assurances that me storm would soon
cease, and That her tather would certainty
wait in shelter tn 1t was over, yet her own
fears grew, and the short hours OF dayhgh'
seemed hylng'
AL last she determined 10 make her way
10 helShooT, anu ask Ior CoiuPaniolishl
IN seeking the pair along the GIN ana
clothing herseh as Warmly as she couIu
she was about TO set out when there came
shaIp KNOCK at tne uOor' anu WIN u
OF Father on her lips, she rushed u
open 1t, to be Tor an instant blinded oy th'
lcy blast ana the tnick WhlteheSs Oh uh'
falling snow Inc chlidreh raised shou
ceived it was not her father who stooC
there, but the tall Dane, whose coming
seemed scarcely surprise, so constantly
2 had his presence been with her in hel
e dreams.
1t seemed to her that this welcome CUES
had not been within the house three min
utes, before all her cares were transferred
to his broad shoulders he so quickly learn
/ ed the cause of the anxious faces of mother
a and children, and, in less time than it take
= to tell, was equipped with wraps and res
g.. toratives, ready for the search it seemed I
= matter of course he should make for tn
; truants. He paused at the door as Barbar
4 held it open for him, and took one glimps
5 of the peaceful parlor, with the ruddy fire
e light glowing on the group of children AM
5 the frail mother, then looking down at tn
= girls sweet, earnest face, raised toward
4 him as she gave directions as to his road,
wave of love for her and pity for the new
he felt it quite possible he might have
A bring her made him bend and press kis
on her forehead, as he said fervently:
d My darling, try and believe will brin
IS them safely"
q He felt the light pressure of her hanC
h and saw the soft light of love in her eyes
~ and in this fashion, in the moment of su'
v pense and anxiety, their troth was plighteC
/ Eric Gottorp found his task was no hgf
one, and, accustomed as he was 10 brave a
a weathersi he wished he had sought help o'
% fore starting, as the pain across the do"i
"a was impossible TO trace, and he could onl
70 guess its whereabouts from the distance !
q remembered 1t to be from the edge OF III
Ii elm. lie battled on, however, as quickly
. was practlcahle, giving can now ana the
that carried far IN spite OF the dense a
p mosphere, and, as he paused to listen, /
a tancied, far away TO his lett ne heard
p faint reply. Continuing MS shouts, an
following the direction oil the ansWerln
a sounds he came at iehgth on pitiap
spectacle Mr.. Tregage, in his perslsteI
ar endeavors to reach his home, had wandert
ar from the path and in attempting to rega
,e it-burdened as he was with Tommy ha
r tried to make his way over fence, again
IN which the snow had drifted to a thickne
ID of more than four feet, He had fallen, an
Id still clasping the little boy IN ms arms
y, ,'ain y,,b5er ,I5 Gottorn's ,yelcone crv came
of PAM WheIi ''uuuoIP "eio'ii'T CiS 'eii'S
to ~ ii'l .t -, - =,